Remembering Piper Alpha -6 July 1988

[CharlieOneSix]

25 years ago tonight I was just about to get into my pit on the Forties Bravo platform having earlier arrived for a nightstop. Then the call came and within minutes we were on our way to Piper Alpha. From miles away the sky was alight with an orange glow and with the intensity of the flames it was almost like daylight when we arrived. Had the usual commercial fit so no winch or winchman – rarely felt so useless in my life. Started searching but the Nimrod Scene of Search Commander soon stood us down to allow the properly equipped SAR helicopters to do their job.

Parked on Ocean Victory and refuelled. Went down to the galley – swamped with questions by the lads there, many with tears in their eyes. Eventually tasked to go to Tharos to collect stretcher cases for transit to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Tharos was close up to the remains of Piper Alpha, fighting the fire with her massive water cannons and whilst most of the platform had collapsed into the sea by this time, when I got out to supervise loading, the paintwork on the helicopter seemed too hot to comfortably touch. Took three badly burned stretcher cases plus medics and two walking wounded to ARI.

167 men lost – please God never again.

[nomorehelosforme]

Cannot imagine how it must have been to be part of that awful night/day I was only a young man but remember reading it in the news.

[diginagain]

... please God never again. Amen to that.

[jonseagull]

I was on a day off working for Bristows on the morning after. Having listened to North Sound Radio at 0700 that morning, I went into work and flew a "line trip" to replace a pilot that was flying on one of the many rescue missions that morning.

25 years on, I still feel the shock of that day and wish I could have done more. I'm sure many of my former colleagues feel the same.

[Oldsarbouy]

Yesterday I was privileged and honoured to fly in the Sea King which overflew the Piper Alpha memorial in Aberdeen yesterday to mark the 25th anniversary of that dreadful night. As part of the crew of one of the Sea Kings involved that night I will never forget the tragic experience especially when, with the advantage of hindsight, I now know that whilst we were searching there were still men aboard the Piper when a previous broadcast had said the rig "was abandoned". It should always be remembered that no survivors were recovered by helicopter that night but by the heroic actions of the standby vessel, Silver Pit, and her fast rescue RIB's and which suffered the only other fatalities that night.

[Hummingfrog]

It was a truly terrible night. I was Captain of R138 and we could see the flames from over 50 miles away and realised that it was a major disaster. The heat from the Piper Alpha could even be felt as we landed on the Tharos after winching survivors off the Silver Pit.

The rescue co-ordination by the on Scene Nimrod was superb as he had multiple assets to manage. Not sure how we would cope nowadays with no dedicated MPA:ugh:

In my civilian career I found myself living on the Tharos flying the shuttle to the Claymore which is the sister rig to the Piper Alpha and can fully understand the tragedy of that night. May they all rest in peace.

HF

[DirtDiver]

Was still for my time but saw the documentaries which only gives a small idea of what happened.
All my best wishes for the people who where there it will be still a black day in your memories.
RIP for all the people who lost there lives!

[BobbyBolkow]

I was rostered off that day and was at relly's for 'a bit of a do' so missed the call report in (no mobiles back then!).
Got back home fairly late and then saw it all unfolding on the late night news. Absolutely horified I phoned ops and was asked to report in at sparrows the following day, again, a day off, but so many had gone in to do what they could that night, that it was niether here nor there.
Spent the day filling in the gaps for those that had flown to help that night and a deep air of gloom hung over everybody and you could still see the smoke from miles away.

Thoughts are with the families of those who lost thier lives and hope they've found peace.

My lasting memories are threefold:-
1 - The horror that such a tragedy could happen.
2 - How everyone pulled together, regardless of what company they worked for, to do what they could.
3 - The media 'feeding frenzy' that followed. God they were animals, trying anything and everything to get the story / shot. B******s! (Yes, I still get very angry about it even now)

[MightyGem]

Documentary on BBC2 tomorrow night:
BBC Two - Piper Alpha: Fire in the Night (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p019bt95)

[nomorehelosforme]

Media?
Sadly they are sharks in all aspects of life and despite recent reforms will continue to be so!

[Bluenose 50]

Post #5

Oldsarbuoy

Thank you for a very moving tribute. I’m glad to see corporate memory is retained at D Flight in recognition of those who flew on the night.

Your comments on the Fast Rescue Craft are honourable and give due recognition to those lads who gave everything with equipment that may not have been “Fit for purpose “ but that didn’t stop them from heading towards the flames when everybody else (correctly) was heading in the opposite direction.

The crew on the FRC who died came from mv Sandhaven.

I recently had the privilege of seeing a pre-view of a documentary film entitled “Fire in the Night” which will be shown on BBC2 on Tuesday 9th July 2013 at 2100 BST. The film focuses on the dramatic individual stories of survivors from Piper Alpha but also highlights the role of the ordinary seamen who performed individual acts of bravery on the night that occasionally has been overlooked.

Hummingfrog
Scene of Search Commander, Air Assets Commander & Nimrod are in the past. Not a criticism, just an observation. In any future major offshore incident, the role of Aircraft Coordinator will be allocated to any suitably equipped and trained SAR asset including a SAR helicopter. SAR coordinators have this under review at all times.

[nomorehelosforme]

Documentary currently on BBC2 of that tragic night, very sad

[jimf671]

Does anyone know if there is a PDF copy of the public inquiry report (Cullen Report) out there?

[nomorehelosforme]

Watching this is awfull, I was just a young guy at the time and had no idea of how bad it was, very sad and moving.

[WannabeCrewman]

I wasnt born until a year after the accident, but I do remember my Dad talking about it (Ex Firefighter; he wasnt involved in the incident but had been trained to fight fires offshore) when I was younger. Never really knew the half of what went on that night until recently.:sad:

Absolutely horrific testimonies from those who survived, and some true moments of astonishing heroism in apocalyptic conditions.

Well done to those who flew that night, bloody good job.

Hopefully nobody will ever have to launch to a job like that again.
WC.

[Offshore Addict]

Just watched it and thought it was a very moving piece of film. I work offshore as does my father and girlfriend. I have recorded it for my other half but am not sure if she should watch it. Pretty horrific stuff.

My last tour in the RAF had me working alongside one of the winchmen who were there that night. My first line of work offshore had me working alongside a Piper survivor. I only found out years later while reading the book, "Fire in the Night" when I was shocked to see his name alongside the name of the previous incarnation of our company. He never mentioned once that he had been there.

I just hope it never happens again. My workplace these days is a Radio Room and listening to the calls put out that night made the hair on the back of the neck stand up.